SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ROBOTIC BEHAVIOR AROUND MOVING BODIES

• US 20180001474A1
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brain Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brain Corporation
• Inventors: Sinyavskiy, Oleg, Gabardos, Borja Ibarz, Passot, Jean-Baptiste
• Granted Patent: US 10,016,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4061 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39082 Collision, real time collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40202 Human robot coexistence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40442 Voxel map, 3-D grid map
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49141 Detect near collision and slow, stop, inhibit movement tool
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49143 Obstacle, collision avoiding control, move so that no collision occurs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49157 Limitation, collision, interference, forbidden zones, avoid obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Systems and methods for detection of people are disclosed. In some exemplary implementations, a robot can have a plurality of sensor units. Each sensor unit can be configured to generate sensor data indicative of a portion of a moving body at a plurality of times. Based on at least the sensor data, the robot can determine that the moving body is a person by at least detecting the motion of the moving body and determining that the moving body has characteristics of a person. The robot can then perform an action based at least in part on the determination that the moving body is a person.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

a first sensor unit configured to generate first sensor data indicative of a first portion of a moving body over a first plurality of times;

a second sensor unit configured to generate second sensor data indicative of a second portion of the moving body over a second plurality of times; and

a processor configured to;

detect motion of the moving body based at least on the first sensor data at a first time of the first plurality of times and the first sensor data at a second time of the first plurality of times;

determine that the moving body comprises a continuous form from at least the first sensor data and the second sensor data;

detect at least one characteristic of the moving body that is indicative of the moving body comprising a person from at least one of the first sensor data and the second sensor data;

identify the moving body as a person based at least on the detected at least one characteristic and the determination that the moving body comprises the continuous form; and

perform an action in response to the identification of the moving body as a person.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the moving body comprises a gait pattern for a person.

3. The robot of claim 2, wherein the gait pattern includes alternating swings of the legs of a person.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein the detection of motion of the moving body is based at least in part on a difference signal determined from the first sensor data at the first time and the first sensor data at the second time.

5. The robot of claim 1, wherein the action comprises a stop action for the robot, the stop action configured to allow the moving body to pass.

6. The robot of claim 1, wherein the robot further comprises a third sensor unit disposed on a rearward facing side of the robot, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the moving body comprises a person based at least on the moving body being detected by the third sensor unit.

7. The robot of claim 1, wherein the first sensor unit comprises a light detection and ranging sensor.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by a processing apparatus for detecting people, the instructions configured to, when executed by the processing apparatus, cause the processing apparatus to:

detect motion of a moving body based at least on a difference signal generated from sensor data;

determine from the sensor data that the moving body has at least two points in substantially the same vertical plane;

identify the moving body as a person based at least in part on;

(i) the detection of at least one characteristic indicative of a person, and (ii) the determination that the moving body has the at least two points in substantially the same vertical plane; and

execute an action in response to the identification of the moving body as a person.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the at least one characteristic indicative of a person is a gait pattern.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the gait pattern includes one stationary leg and one swinging leg.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the action comprises a stop action, the executed stop action configured to allow the moving body to pass.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions are configured to further cause the processing apparatus to:

detect at least one characteristic of the moving body that is indicative of an animal from the sensor data;

identify the moving body as an animal based at least on the detected at least one characteristic of the moving body that is indicative of an animal; and

execute an action in response to the identification of the moving body as an animal.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the sensor data is generated from a plurality of sensor units.

14. A method for detecting a person with a robot, comprising:

detecting motion of a moving body based at least on a difference signal generated from sensor data;

identifying the moving body as a person based at least on detecting a gait pattern of the moving body; and

performing an action in response to the identification of the moving body as a person.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the detected gait pattern comprises detecting alternating swings of the legs of a person.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the performed action comprises stopping the robot in order to allow the moving body to pass.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining that the moving body has a substantially column-like shape from the sensor data.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating sensor data from a plurality of sensor units.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the detection of motion comprises determining if the difference signal is greater than a difference threshold.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the detected gait pattern comprises detecting one stationary leg and detecting one swinging leg of a person.